Protests by ‘Cockroach Party’ Intensify, Hundreds of Demonstrators Arrested

Police launched a large-scale crackdown in the Indian capital on Saturday to suppress a fierce protest by young people demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner, detaining hundreds of demonstrators. Thousands of security personnel patrolled the streets, while public transport services and telecommunications were suspended. The protest, organized under the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ movement, aimed to mobilize thousands of demonstrators against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Critics accuse him of overseeing changes to voter lists that they allege could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Television footage showed police chasing dozens of young protesters carrying bags through New Delhi’s central business district. The demonstrators were subsequently bundled into vehicles and taken away.  Police denied permission for the protest at Jantar Mantar, citing security concerns and alleged violations during previous demonstrations.

According to sources, approximately 500 people who had arrived in different groups were detained, along with around 50 individuals with criminal backgrounds who were taken into preventive custody. In a separate statement, police said nearly 200 additional people had been detained from Connaught Place. Those taken into custody included Abhijit Deepke, founder of the ‘Cockroach Janta Party,’ other party leaders, and prominent YouTuber Dhruv Rathee. The operation involved barricades, vehicle searches, drone surveillance, and temporary detention facilities to prevent protesters from reaching the designated demonstration site. Amid heightened tensions, stadiums were converted into temporary holding centers.

For more than three decades, a street in central New Delhi served as one of the most prominent platforms for Indian citizens to voice their demands and hold those in power accountable. Trade unions, retired military personnel, anti-corruption campaigners, women’s rights organizations, and student leaders regularly gathered outside the historic 18th-century Jantar Mantar observatory, located near the city’s commercial district and the seat of political power. However, this week, the country’s best-known platform for public demonstrations was officially stripped of its designated status as a protest site. Activists and human rights organizations have expressed serious concern over what they describe as the shrinking space for democracy. In an order issued on Monday, Delhi Police stated, “Jantar Mantar’s status as a designated protest site has been revoked.”

The decision came days after clashes between authorities and protesters associated with the online anti-government movement led by the Cockroach Janta Party. The youth-led group has brought thousands of people onto the streets to oppose changes to voter lists that critics fear could disenfranchise eligible voters. It is worth recalling that, several months earlier, the education minister had been forced to resign following separate protests over irregularities in examinations. Although authorities have designated three alternative locations for demonstrations in Delhi, campaigners argue that the right to protest in the world’s largest democracy depends on remaining visible to the public and being close to lawmakers. Prominent human rights activist Shabnam Hashmi told AFP, “Jantar Mantar is in the city Centre, it is connected to all parts of the city, and it is very close to Parliament. It was an extremely important place for all protest movements. This decision is nothing but a clear attempt to suppress unwanted voices and dissent.”

In Sanskrit, ‘Jantar Mantar’ means an instrument for astronomical calculations, designed to observe celestial bodies with the naked eye. The approximately 1.6-kilometre-long (one-mile-long) street adjoining the observatory became a focal point for protests after being designated as a demonstration site in 1993. In July this year, thousands of students led by the ‘Cockroach’ movement gathered there to protest irregularities in competitive examinations and attempted to march towards Parliament. For nearly a month, Jantar Mantar remained a vibrant Centre of youth-led protests, with its walls covered in angry slogans, rebellious messages, and graffiti challenging the government. Tensions flared again this month after police refused to allow the Cockroach Party to hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation over the controversial changes to voter lists.

On Wednesday, two key leaders of the CJP, who had jumped over barricades a day earlier in an attempt to “reclaim Jantar Mantar,” were reportedly sent to jail for five days on charges of crossing a restricted area without permission. Before being detained, party founder Abhijit Deepke said, “Jantar Mantar is not merely a geographical location; it represents a spirit of resistance that no one can ever extinguish.” On Tuesday, Delhi Police defended its decision by citing a Supreme Court directive requiring authorities to “identify and designate suitable alternative sites” for protests. These developments have reignited the debate over where citizens can now go to voice their grievances and demands. Hashmi said restrictions on the space and timing of demonstrations at Jantar Mantar had already tightened in recent years. Nevertheless, its location had made it uniquely effective, allowing protesters to reach Parliament, government ministries, and media offices with relative ease.

“In a democracy, you need places where people can protest. This decision is completely unacceptable,” she said. Authorities say demonstrations can be held at two locations on the outskirts of the capital, while a third site, Ramlila Maidan, near the city centre, will remain available for large gatherings. However, human rights activists argue that moving protests away from the city centre risks reducing public participation and media attention, particularly for demonstrators travelling from distant states. Higher travel costs, longer journeys, and reduced media coverage could diminish the impact of demonstrations. On Tuesday, one protester told AFP that demonstrators would continue gathering at Jantar Mantar despite the police order. Before being detained by police, the protester said, “We will engage in civil disobedience with full determination. We will sit here and protest.”